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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · mark · patient · tube · vault · mate · shower · face

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tube — the underground
  5. face — part of the head
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mate — to breed
  12. shower — rain
  13. foot — a measure
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tube — a container
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to confront
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com